[First, before I get really deep into this story, I’d like to set the record straight to avoid any future confusions: while I do indeed want and need to support myself solely with my art, money is not the reason I draw, paint, sculpt, or write — I do it because I Just Gotta. It’s a calling, y’know? When I’m busy on any kind of artwork, I don’t even think — much less obsess — over any sort of fiscal rewards. I’m doing my thing because I have to,…]

Alrightey, here we go,…

Last Tuesday Ben and I delivered an artwork to one of my supportive friends, and then we drove into the Pearl for a talk Gwenn was giving on a subject close to my heart: making a living as an artist. [In the photo on her blog post, mine is the second denim-clad knee from the left — you can’t miss me.]

As Gwenn recounted some of her experiences and shared her wisdoms, I paid close attention and took copious notes — if I can indeed make a living as an artist, then none of my irreplaceable time will get sucked away by wage-slaving for someone else.

And one thing Gwenn said that really struck me was a bit she’d mentioned in passing, almost as an aside, something someone else had told her —

“Use every opportunity to tell everyone what you do.”

That bit really resonated with me. My Muses whispered in my ear: take that one to heart! And when my Muses talk to me, I listen. After Gwenn’s presentation, Ben and I talked about it over dinner at Screen Door [I heartily recommend the jambalaya]. And we discussed Gwenn’s talk some more when we then went to one of our favorite haunts, Wine Down, for desserts.

Well, being me, I started showing off my new toy, the iPhone, to the guys there [man, this thing really can take some great pictures!] and I used the ‘camera roll’ feature to show Josh the art that I’d delivered to Charles. The lady sitting next to me asked to see the watercolor figure on the viewscreen [but had left her glasses at home, so I loaned her my reading glasses]. She then showed that picture to the gentleman sitting at her other side — and he asked if I had any more work he could look at,…

With my new motto in mind and without hesitation, I pulled up my art site on the iPhone for him, and let him browse through it — he found a drawing he really liked and asked, “Do you still have this one?”

I leant forward and glanced at the image and nodded. “It’s hanging on the wall, at home — ”

“How much is it?”

Not having any of the prices memorized, I took the iPhone and pulled up the page with my price list, and showed him —

His response: “Let me get my checkbook,…” He left for a few moments and came back with the aforementioned checkbook, bought the drawing, and we arranged to meet at Edgefield for its delivery on the following day,… I’d had my first iPhone for three and a half days, and it had already paid for itself.

The next morning I pulled the framed drawing off the wall and put it into an Utrecht shopping bag, and off we went to Edgefield. The drawing has a new home, its new owner just emailed me how pleased he is with it, and I’ve got an empty spot on the wall howling to be filled with new art,…